1. a group of persons working or associated together.
2. a group of persons associated for some criminal purpose.

- Random House Dictionary

Gangs play an integral role in any Cyberpunk game that centers on the poverty and violence of the street. While not always the case, it seems that a certain lawlessness has descended on cities nationwide. Gangs prowl the night, looking for potential victims. These groups, made up mostly of teens and young adults, are described as if they have
traded their humanity in order to become part of a "group mind". Gang leaders are mini-tyrants, ruling on a scale of city blocks like Alexander did on a scale of continents. They wage wars on innocent citizens, police, corporate forces, and, of course, other gangs. In the end, it seems that "gangstas" live fast and die young, causing property damage and loss of life without remorse.

But I think that's a somewhat shallow viewpoint.

This chart, and the following information, is designed to be used by a game master to create his own gangs. Gangs can be generated randomly, or the game master can assign values as dictated by his needs. Using the Gang Type Chart, the GM has two options. He can either roll once to get a generalization of the gang's type, or he can roll twice to get a more specialized gang. For example: Ted rolls on the chart twice and gets a 46 and an 85, resulting in a Racist/Guardian gang. Such a gang would probably only help people in need if they were members of the appropriate race or creed.

Some rolls may seem to result in conflicting entries. For instance, if Ted had rolled a 46 and a 54, his result would have been a Guardian/Nihilist gang. While this sounds unlikely at first, examination of the two gang types could lead an imaginitive GM to create a gang which will do anything to protect innocents on the street, including actions which
could lead to the death of said innocents, as well as their attackers. Like divination, it's all in how you read the cards.

Other times, you may roll the same gang type twice. This means that the gang in question is very narrow in its goals and its means of achieving them. This isn't a bad thing at all, and it does nothing to make the gang more or less exciting, depending on how the GM interprets his results.

There is, however, a special case. If "Puppet Gang" is rolled, make a note of the result and roll on the chart twice more. The following two rolls indicate the Puppet Gang's front - the type of gang people perceive them to be. If either of the two rolls result in "Puppet Gang" again, then it is common knowledge that the gang is, in fact,
corporate owned and operated.

Note that not all gangs are evil, nasty, antisocial, and violent. Some are merely driven to such a course by outside influence and the pressure of the street. In addition, not all gangs are brought together because of poverty and lack of parental attentions. Imagine a gang made up of spoiled rich kids who douse vagrants with lighter fluid and set them on fire. Sound familiar?

Please note that in the case of Netrunner Gangs, "turf" could (and should) be expressed in Cyberspace terms. For example, the turf chart result "a couple of buildings" would be "a couple of data forts" or netspace bullitain boards, while "two or three city blocks" would be "two or three city grid squares".

THE CHARTS

There are six charts used in creating a gang. This section details what each chart means, and how the results could be interpreted.

The "Gang Type Chart" is the heart of the creation process. By rolling on this chart, you'll be deciding exactly what your gang's motives might be, what they look like, and what they do. The chart is quite flexible, with each entry being intentionally general.

The "Average Members Age" chart gives you an idea of how old the average gang member is. Younger gang members are liable to be less experienced than their old counterparts. Note that the result of this chart indicates the AVERAGE age, and that it is quite possible that older or younger members do exist within the gang.

Next, we come to the "Gang Age" table. This one will give you a general idea on how long the gang has been around. Older gangs tend to control more turf and have a larger number of members than younger gangs, though this isn't always the case.

The "Member Chart" tells you how many members a gang has indoctrinated into its ranks.

The "Turf Chart" indicates how much territory within a city that the gang has control of. Gangs must constantly defend their turf from the depredations of other gangs, police, and angry citizens. A gang with lots of turf and few members may have trouble keeping it all under their control.

Lastly, the "Expansion Chart" will give you some idea as to how far the gang in question has spread from its native city. Most gangs will remain confined to one city, but some can grow large enough to branch out and expand their territory on a county-, state-, or nation-wide scale. You have been warned.

Remember that these charts are only here as a guide. If the dice roll a result that you don't care for, or if you feel you can't go anywhere due to the randomness of the tables, don't be afraid to pick the entries you want. After all, this is all about having a good time,
remember? Don't stress on it.

Chromatic rock fans. Prone to idolization of rock stars. Each gang tends to revolve around a specific band or star. Not usually violent (as compared to Boosters), but gang ethics are usually dictated by the attitudes of the worshipped band.

Combat Gangs :

These guys aren't violent for the sake of violence -- they just like to kick ass, preferably against willing opponents, though this isn't always the case. Most often, they restrict weapons to "honorable" ones (ie, knives, etc) and are as likely to go toe-to-toe with boosters as another combat gang. Many street solos find their beginnings in combat
gangs.

Drug Gangs :

These lowlives buy, sell, and/or manufacture drugs. Sample groups might include anything from psychedellic cults spaced out on love, to violent meth-heads with dealers all over town.

Eco Gangs :

Environmentalists gone bad. Also includes animal rights activists. Such gangs use radical tactics to get their points across. They're not all violent and mean (some just get together to go hiking), yet a good deal of the more publicized ones are no better than localized eco-terrorists.

Exotic Gangs :

Akin to poser gangs, exotic gangs lean towards the use of exotic biosculpts. Some gangs use animals as a topic for self-expression, while others go for the truly wierd (ie, martians, mythical beasts, etc.).

Go-Gangs :

These gangs are mobile, whether they use motorcycles, BMX bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, etc. The go-gang category represents anything from a tight knit group of skaters, Yakuza-sponsored bosozoku, or hillbillies in monster trucks.

Guardian Gangs :

These types of gangs protect the weak from the tyranny of other gangs, corporate forces, and law enforcement agencies. They aren't always well-armed, preferring to utilize martial arts or handguns to get the job done. While usually scrupulous, they can sometimes lose sight of their goals and become no better than just another combat gang. Some actually extort money from the local citizens that they "protect".

Netrunner Gangs :

Yes, you've read that right. Staking out their turf within the confines of city grids, netrunner gangs are almost exclusively Net-based. Most deal in the free distribution of data and code, though "free" doesn't always mean that there is no cost. Other groups are software pirates, rogue programmers, or cyberspace "taggers", using virtual cans of spraypaint to deface datafortress walls.

Nihilist Gangs :

Members of nihilist groups like to go out in a big bang. They believe that since death is inevitable, existence is futile. Therefore, they will go to great lengths to make their deaths as flashy and destructive as possible. While these gangs have a great tendency for destruction, most don't last very long since members are constantly dying.

Nostalgia Gangs :

These guys are similar to posers, but without the extensive biosculpts. They try to keep the memories of an idealized past alive, fictional or otherwise. Some slick back their hair, dress like James Dean, and drive '50's muscle cars. Others dress like cowboys or wear medieval costumes and wave swords around. Mostly harmless.

Party Gangs :

These guys want to have a good time, and are more than likely the hedonists of the gang world. They might be considered the "ravers" of the 21st century. Typically, they move as a group from party to party, or create their own decadence in a warehouse downtown, with or without permission. As recreational drug use is pretty common, most of the members burn out or O.D. eventually.

Political Gangs :

These gangs set a specific political standard or goal for themselves, be it fascism, communism, world peace, neo-luddism, etc. They just want to get their point across, even if you don't want to hear it. While not normally violent, some groups have resorted to common terrorist tactics.

Poser Gangs :

Posergangs use extensive biosculpts to impersonate celebrities and/or characters from the past or present. Most gangs revolve around a specific topic (dead presidents, serial murderers, etc.) or serial ("Gilligan's Island", "Hellraiser", or the ever popular "Brady Bunch"). Members are typically brain-washed, and are expected to completely
become their new persona.

Prank Gangs :

These guys play jokes on people. Not everyone, however, will find their jokes amusing. Some jokes are downright dangerous to the victims involved, while others are mostly harmless.

Puppet Gangs :

Specifically, puppet gangs are corporate controlled and sponsored, usually secretly. Corporations use them to distribute experimental drugs, test new weapons, and to neutralize threats on the street. Genuine gangs tend to hate puppets. Some puppet gangs are supported so covertly that only the highest ranking members know who's pulling their strings.

Racist Gangs :

Any gang that advocates hatred of other races, cultures, and creeds, while maintaining the superiority of their own. Examples could include the famed "Black Panthers" or the more infamous "Nazi Skinheads".

Taggers :

Taggers are gangs that use graffitti to "tag" or deface a location. Usually, this type of vandalism takes the form of the gang's sign or initials painted or carved onto a surface that will be seen by a lot of people. In addition to stock taggers, there are also several groups who paint elaborate and striking murals on walls and sidewalks. Most building and business owners don't take kindly to kids defacing their property, and some taggers have taken to carrying weapons in addition to spray paint.

Theo-Gangs :

Any gang that expresses any religious and/or "cultish" behavior is a theo-gang. These gangs can include such diverse factions as the anti-cyberware neo-luddite "Inquisitors", to right-wing Christian "fundies" who stand on street corners preaching the evils of role-playing games and planning midnight raids on 7-11 porno racks. Most groups attempt to spread their version of salvation peacefully ("Hari Krishna" gangs come to mind), but others attempt to root out the heretics and force them to convert or die.

Uni-Sex Gangs :

This includes any gang that expresses a sexual restriction on its members, such as exclusively male or female gangs, for any number of reasons. These reasons include a core belief in the superiority of one sex over the other (ie, sexism, such as "The He-Man Woman-Hater's Club" of Little Rascals fame), or a bias in the members' sexual orientation (ie, an exclusively homosexual gang).

SAMPLE GANGS

The following gangs were created using the charts above, as well as a bit of my own twisted imagination. It is suggested that individual CP2020 game masters incorporate Threat Levels and Threat Codes (see the "Night City Sourcebook", pages 40-41), as well as stats for the "average" gang member. Remember that the number of possible gang ideas is nearly infinite, limited only by your imagination.

Gang Name: Wayne's Children

Type: Poser/Party Gang

Average Member's Age: 21 years

Gang Age: 16 years (Old)

Members: Between 15 and 20

Turf: 4 City Blocks

Expansion: 3 more chapters, nationwide

Tag: A Cartoonish Globe

Notes: "Wayne's Children" is a poser gang that bases itself off of a series of films from the late 20th century titled "Wayne's World" and its sequels. The gang's members, lead by the infamous "Wayne" and his right-hand man, "Garth", pose as characters from the films. Gang ideals revolve around having a good time and avoiding any corporate
influence. The gang is in a constant state of flux, as the old "Waynes" and "Garths" either move on, lose status, or die from drug overdose. The gang (and its other chapters) run pirate television shows by patching into local public broadcasting systems. The shows are fairly banal, and revolve around either sexy women ("Schwing!") or the latest chromatic rock hit.

Gang Name: Daughters of Eve

Type: Uni-Sex/Theo Gang

Average Member's Age: 19 years

Gang Age: 2 years (Young)

Members: 8

Turf: A Couple of Buildings

Expansion: None

Tag: An Apple With a Bite Taken Out of It

Notes: The "Daughters of Eve" is a religious gang with very little tolerance for the male sex. Members believe that Eve was actually created before Adam, in God's image (ie, female). They also believe that Jesus Christ was actually a woman, that all angels in Heaven are women, and all demons and devils in Hell are men. They trace female oppression to the time of the crucifixion of Christ, and that God's word was twisted when Satan attempted to wrestle power from Her. The gang has very little hold on any territory, though they have restored a church and converted it to their tastes. They are constantly looking for converts, preferably virgins who have not been spoiled by male
corruption. It is a general gang belief that God will gift the purest of Her followers with an immaculate conception, and that the new messiah will be born and lead her followers to glory against the masculinity of Hell.

Gang Name: Snowboyz

Type: (Puppet) Drug/Booster Gang

Average Member's Age: 17 years

Gang Age: 10 months

Members: 22

Turf: Five City Blocks

Expansion: None

Tag: A Stylized Razorblade on a Chain

Notes: The "Snowboyz" are a Drug/Booster gang sponsored by Arasaka's Pharmaceuticals Division. While a fairly young gang, due to their corporate backing, they have expanded quickly within the city, controlling a large part of the drug sales in the combat zone. Many of the drugs they distribute are experimental cocktails produced by Arasaka, which the gang claims are their own wicked designs. While most members are under the age of 18, the top echelon are in their mid- to late-twenties, sculpted to look and sound as young as the rest of the group. The gang as a whole is supplied with plenty of black cyberware and automatic weapons to defend their territory.